In the dark, I am the Knight of Flowers
by Fenice di Fuoco
Summary: Sansa and Tyrion have a conversation on the crypts before the dead arise


_"Maybe we should've stayed married"_

_"You were the best of them"_

The words were still echoing in her mind.

The Lady of Winterfell couldn't possibly understand how a simple witty statement could boil her blood up to her cheeks. Nor could she determine what drove her to state her reply out loud, for she usually keeps her true feelings barred behind the walls of her heart.

"It was before the Battle of Blackwater" said Tyrion breaking the deafening silence of the crypts

Sansa turned to look at him in confusion "What?"

"When you cleverly prayed for my safe return. That was the moment when I truly began to see you" he frowned a little "Admire you even"

He was still avoiding her gaze. The sounds of the battle above began to increase, filling the Crypts with an even more dreadful atmosphere. Sansa stirred. Noticing, Tyrion finally turned to look upon her. He shared her a soft reassuring smile. To anyone else, the expression would've seemed like a frightening twist of face due to his scar. But not to Sansa, for she has seen this kind gesture of his a thousand times before.

_I know him better than I would like to admit_, Sansa thought.

"I think I admired you even more during our marriage. Of course, I would've preferred you to trust me the least bit but it was smart of you, even natural to stay as far from any Lannister as you could" Tyrion lowered his eyes and Sansa unconsciously mourned the loss of his glance upon hers. "And then you ran away"

As soon as the words escaped his mouth Sansa's eyes widened and she felt a sudden pit form up within her stomach.

He continued, "You left me behind and I tried so hard to hate you for it, I truly did. But I couldn't…" he rose up his eyes to meet hers again "I couldn't blame you for it. Everything pointed to your guilt and I still couldn't-"

"Tyrion, I'm so-"

"No, Sansa it's okay. Because it was at that moment when I realized that you were something more to me. I couldn't put my finger on what that was back then. I still don't think I can now" he shifted his stare to his hands and fidgeted his fingers "Gods if only we could've been given more time…" his words went more as a whisper.

A whisper loud enough for Sansa to hear. Her heart hammered against her chest so hard making her head ring. Trying to read his face, Tyrion looked so troubled, yet his eyes held a sincerity like no other. _By the Seven, I haven't felt like this since I was a little girl. Probably not even then_, Sansa thought. It took all the courage within her to speak.

"That is why" She said

This time, it was Tyrion's turn to turn in surprise

"That is why you were the best of them"

Shifting his position, Tyrion's eyes opened as wide as the Trident. For once, the Imp was out of words. Sansa grinned softly at his reaction and continued to put him at ease

"I also wish we could've had more time. I couldn't see it back then but even in the prison King's Landing was for me you tried your best to treat me like a proper lady. You were the only one to care. Even back then, when no one did. It was very stupid of me, awful even"

"No, Sansa. You were a child-"

"I know, but even then… I had the terrible habit of valuing what was mine once I lost it. It took me quite some time but after everything that happened I finally realized that you weren't part all the bad things I lived through"

She felt him take a deep breath and wondered if he was feeling the same emotions she was suddenly diving into.

She continued "But at least, we made priceless memories out of our little time together"

He grinned at her "Oh, did we?"

She felt herself relax "Don't tell me you have forgotten about sheep shifting!"

Tyrion chuckled "Who would've thought that your idea to do that to Lord Desmond Crakehall would end up having us sheep shifting my sister's bed! Do you remember her reaction?!" Tyrion began to mockingly imitate Cersei's face of disgust and anger

Sansa laughed so hard that her tummy began to hurt and tears formed on the corners of her eyes. The people of the Crypts turned their attention towards both of them with disapproval. This was definitely not the appropriate time to laugh. But Sansa couldn't care any less. She hadn't genuinely laughed like this ever since the day Joffrey took her father's head. _How ironic is it to find happiness at the end of the world,_ she thought.

But the memory of Joffrey awoke even more laughter within her "Oh, but do you remember when we did the same thing to Joffrey?" She said choking between laughs.

"All hail Joffrey Baratheon, First of his Name, King of the Smelly Kingdoms"

They were both trembling from laughter they had to hang onto each other's shoulders in order to avoid collapsing to the floor.

"But do you remember," Tyrion said with a jump "When we left anonymous love letters to Maester Pycelle on his office for a fortnight?"

Sansa nodded in excitement and chuckled "A different flower and letter each night"

Tyrion clapped "The poor old man, nothing will ever compare to the look on his face when we wrote him to meet his 'secret lover' on the gardens of the palace only to see that he had been fooled!"

"Lucky for us he didn't spot us in the bush behind biting our laughter out!"

They both laughed at even more memories that they recalled. For a moment, Sansa forgot where she was. She forgot of the battle above and of how close she was to die. For a moment, only Tyrion Lannister existed. Right in front of her eyes, finally seeing him. Her happiness all of a sudden died out. She dwelled to avoid any tears to form upon her eyes. _He's right. We deserved more time_, Sansa thought. Only a little more time, and maybe she could've told him..

_You could tell him now _a voice from the back of her mind spoke. But she shut it off. She accommodate herself in her seat and stared at the distance, shockingly yearning for Tyrion's touch yet too terrified to ask him. The Lady of Winterfell busied her mind to focus with all her might to fight the threat of her tears.

And then, all of a sudden, Sansa found herself behind her father's crypt. Side by side to the man who was once her husband. An unmeasurable fear ran through every fiber of her body. Her legs and knees trembled like never before, for unlike all the previous times she was now certain this was her end. She felt his gaze upon her and turned to him. She could see her fear reflected on his green Lannister eyes.

Abruptly, flashes of memories and voices began to cross her mind in the matter of a second. _Is this what dying feels like?_ For she could not understand how much she could see in so little time. _When you are old enough_ one deep voice rang within her head _I'll make you a match with someone brave and gentle and strong_, a softer one then spoke _love didn't just happen to us, we built it slowly over the years, stone by stone. _And many others followed _Especially with the scar, Now and Forever, Your imp will make a better husband, You know him better than any of us, _until a final one ringed for a while longer than the rest _I won't ever hurt you_

So here she was, at the end of her time, looking the truth in the face. Everything she wanted to tell him, the things she wanted to say before parting, all her words died at the end of her tongue. Panic had taken away her ability to speak. In her desperation, she prayed to the Old Gods and the New for her eyes to speak for her mouth. She prayed that in them Tyrion could see everything she wanted to say. There was just so much and she cursed herself for not speaking up before.

But her prayers seemed to have been answered, for Tyrion softened his stare giving her one last soft smile. Sansa melted into it.

His eyes warmed her within, giving her an unexpecting courage. _This is not our end_. Remembering Arya's dragonglass dagger, she took it out from under her furs and noticed Tyrion did the same with his. _This can't be our end_. He reached for her free hand and entwined his fingers with hers upon his shoulder. _We deserve more time._

Drawing a soft kiss on her knuckles, Sansa saw how he gathered all the bravery from his small body to leap into the fight to give one last stand. Hand in hand with her. _For when the candles are blown out, in the Dark, he is not the Knight of Flowers. He is Tyrion Lannister. My husband. The love of my life._


End file.
